Envision Joins APTA

October 13, 2014

Envision Inc. announced today that, through its Envision Industries division, it has become a business member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the international organization representing the transit industry. The not-for-profit organization made the announcement this morning at APTA’s Annual Meeting and Expo in Houston, stating its intention to become the preferred provider of plastic bags to transit systems in metropolitan markets throughout the United States.

Envision Industries is an integral part of what enables Envision to realize its mission to improve the quality of life and inspire those who are blind and visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research. In addition to being one of the largest employers of blind and visually impaired individuals in the country, it generates a considerable portion of the funds through which Envision delivers a wide variety of programs and services. Envision Industries manufactures more than 500 SKUs of plastic bags, liners and related products under the Envision and Stout proprietary brands and as private-label merchandise. These products include an environmentally friendly line of degradable and compostable bags as well as standard liners and bags of every shape, color and size. The facility produces more than two million bags daily and moves them to market throughout the United States by direct sale to the military and government organizations, at retail through a network of 16 military base stores, and via the ecommerce sites of some of the country’s largest big box retailers.

Joining APTA will enable the organization to better spread the word regarding its quality products at competitive prices to corporations and agencies throughout the country.

We are delighted to be joining APTA,” said Michael Monteferrante, CEO/President of Envision. “We think that as APTA’s members become better acquainted with our products and our mission, they’ll become increasingly interested in working with us. Our goal is to become the plastic bag dealer of choice for transit authorities and similarly large entities throughout the country.

Becoming an APTA member is one of several building blocks through which Envision will look to increase revenues, Monteferrante said, explaining that the organization plans to increase orders through state-use programs, competitive bids, strategic alliances and partnerships. As a partner agency in the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), Envision also plans to leverage its APTA membership to benefit sibling NIB agencies, using its own products to spearhead relationships and then bringing in product lines from sister agencies around the country.

We’re excited about the implications of this move by Envision,” said Reinhard Mabry, President & CEO of Kansas City-based Alphapointe, another organization employing people who are blind and visually impaired in its manufacturing facilities both at its headquarters and in Brooklyn, New York. Envision has partnered with Alphapointe in the past. “We are looking forward to seeing what doors Envision can open both for themselves and for our enterprise, as developing new pipelines of strategic business opportunities aligns with our missions of creating jobs for people who are blind.